(A/N): We're back with Sebastien, Mia, and Cipicia. Lots of foreshadowing in this one, most of it really NOT subtle.

Trigger Warnings: Sebastien considers physical violence toward Mia at least once, and makes a threatening movement in order to frighten her, though whether he intended to follow through on it is a bit more hazy than usual. Just a basic warning for parents being awful to their children- neglectful, plus physically, emotionally, and psychologically abusive, too. Talk of... holding someone against their will? Sort of? (I mean, it's Leonides, so maybe he'd want to be there at this point in time, but certainly not the way they want him to be) As well as, uh... physical restraints and 'training' that is only mentioned rather vaguely, but can probably be assumed isn't anything good.

October 19th, 1967

Sebastien

I immediately narrowed my eyes at her. "Love," I spat. "Has nothing to do with it." There was only the barest split second where she hesitated before she returned the gesture, obviously outraged by what I had said.

"Just because you're in-cape-a-bull of love doesn't mean it doesn't matter." She struggled with the word incapable, and I struggled not to backhand her- if only because I knew it would leave a mark, and thus inspire more questions than I wanted to have to answer. Not that anyone here would have the guts to question us, their master and mistress, outright, but they would inevitably do a lot of talking- talk that could make its way to our peers in the upper echelons of pureblood society, which would be far more of a problem for us. "You do things out of obligation-" Oh, that word she had less trouble with, probably because we had worked so hard to get it through their heads that they had familial obligations to take care of. "-because you feel like you have to. If you help Leo it's only because you don't want it to ruin your life, I'm trying to help Leo because I love him, and want him to be okay." What a load of nonsense!

"I am not 'incapable' of anything, let alone something as rudimentary as 'love'," I practically snarled, and Cipicia rolled her eyes at me.

"Not the hill you want to die on, girl." Miasenna didn't seem all that settled by this. "I love Leonides too- you know I do-" Miasenna looked extremely reluctant to have to admit such a thing... and Cipicia didn't look much better. "-but you need to realise that sometimes, what we want is not what is best. Best for us, and best for Leonides."

I wanted to complain that we shouldn't care about what was best for the boy, but by the look Cipicia shot my way, I inferred that she was simply plying Miasenna with what she really cared about- which was, invariably, Leonides. "What's best for Leo, is coming home. What's best for us, is Leo coming home," Miasenna said firmly. "So stop talking, and get finding." Even Cipicia couldn't abide that.

"Everything I do- every step I take and every breath I breathe- I do in service of you two. Of my babies." I could tell Miasenna wanted to roll her eyes at this, but just barely held it back. "I need you to believe that I am doing everything I can to protect the both of you- to keep you as safe and happy as I am capable. As I'm allowed." By the society we lived in, or by me? Or possibly, by her own sensibilities? "Please," She begged. "Believe me. I am doing everything I can- fighting as hard as I-" She cut herself off, seemingly choking on her words.

"I don't want your best," Miasenna told her rather simply. "I want you to bring my brother back to me. There's nowhere in the world that's safer for him that here-" Probably untrue, but I suppose it didn't matter, since his safety was the least of our concerns. Of my concerns, at least. "-and I... I can't be without him."

That was incidental at best, but Cipicia took it to heart. She looked incredibly pained and hurt, and she was clearly on the verge of tears- or very close to such a thing, anyway. "I... We'll- We'll try." Miasenna was blatantly annoyed by this- infuriated, even. Before she could say anything, though- before she could have a go at either of us again, most likely- I stepped in front of Cipicia, staring our daughter down as sharply as I could.

"We will be getting him back- there's no question about that. The only uncertainty is when that happens." She seemed heartened by this, even as she narrowed her eyes at me, as if she didn't trust- or like- my motivations. Well, bully for her. "But until such a time that we do, you need to keep your head down. Let us do our work, without having to worry about you." She glared at me, but didn't argue- I had the feeling she was merely biding her time.

"You can't help him by getting yourself in trouble," Cipicia told her gently, which she didn't seem to appreciate. "We don't need you ending up in St Mungo's again." It wasn't as though she'd really needed to go there in the first place- she'd only been there because Cipicia had been trying to determine whether she was like Leonides or not. "The last thing I need is to see that Healer again anytime soon." Hm? What Healer was this? What Healer could- would- vex Cipicia so thoroughly that she would feel the need to avoid having to see them at pretty much any cost? Miasenna took note of this in much the same way I did, though neither of us said anything about it- we were both tucking it away for later, it seemed.

"You keep going about your business as usual- keep that governess of yours occupied, until we can get him back. He won't be able to go back to his lessons- or possibly even be seen, without years of training and endless precautions-" Cipicia blinked, as though she hadn't considered the possibility that he might be able to attend events eventually... or maybe she hadn't considered he might need training. Hard to say, really. "-but he will be here, and we'll even let you see him- on occasion, and with plenty of restraints." Neither of them were pleased by this- in fact, they were varying levels of disgusted. "Would you prefer that we put our heir- our only heir, now- in mortal peril?" Miasenna immediately scowled.

"Leo would never, ever hurt me!" Her confidence was admirable, if incredibly inaccurate and ill-advised. "Never. And he'd never- He's not a monster, like you say he is- he may be half vampire, but that doesn't mean- Doesn't mean he isn't Leo, anymore."

I rolled my eyes at the extremely naivety of such a sentiment. "He's a vampire," I drawled angrily. "That's exactly what it means. He's a monster, and while he may still be the same boy, all that tells us is that he was always a monster." They both clearly despised this.

"If there's a monster here, it is not, and never has been, Leo- it's you two."

I arched an eyebrow at her, twirling my wand menacingly. "Careful, girl." She paled slightly, but didn't back down- was that the characteristic veela ferocity coming to her from Cipicia, or whatever demon happened to possess my sister, coming to her through my blood in her veins? Either way, I respected it- the strength behind it, anyway- even as I disliked it for how inconvenient it was.

"You're not wrong," Cipicia murmured, which I would have thought was odd if I had paid it any real mind. "If we get him back-" When. When, we get him back. "-we can never let him go again." We hadn't let him go in the first place. "If he comes back in this house... he can never leave."

(A/N): For clarification, Markaisa isn't actually possessed by a demon, Sebastien is just petty.